Improved apparatus fob, preserving beer, ale



R. BIGKEMEYER. APPARATUS PoR PREsBRvINe BEER, ALB, ee.

RUDOLPH EIGKEMEYER, OF YKNKERS, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 82,394, dated September 22, 1868.

IMPEOVED APPARATUS POR PRESBRVING BEER, ALE, 6to.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, RUDoLru- Ercxnmnrnn, of Yonkers, in the county of Westchester, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Preservation ot- Beer and other Perishable vLiquids or Substances, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, andin which- Figure 1 represents an elevation of an apparatus with barrel attached, having its contents under process of treatment according to my invention, and V- l I Figure 2 a sectional elevation of the same, viewed at right angles to fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Although applicable to the preservation of other liquids of a ,perishable character, also fruit and other` substances or articles, it will suilice, in this description, mainly to refer to my invention as used in connection with lager-beer,' which, it is well known, in being run off` from a keg or barrel intermittently, or at intervals of time, spoils, by loss or esoapenof the carbonio-acid gas contained in the beer, and bv the oxidation consequent upon the admission of air tc'v'take the place 'ol' the beer drawn olf. i

My invention consists in a connection or combination 'of the vessel which contains the article'or liquid -to be preserved, with a chamber or reservoir charged with carbonio-acid gas, in such manner as that the vessel containing the said article` or liquid, or vacant space in said vessel, is kept lled with carbonio acid as rapidly as the contents ot' the vessel absorb the carboniol acid,'or as the contents of said vessel are drawn o.

And my invention also includes such an arrangement or combination and construction of a carboniceacidgas-generating apparatus, for connection with the-perishable articles or liquids contained in a separate vessel, for charging its contents and vacant space, as described, as that the height of the column of'acid used-in generation of said gas keeps up a pressure'on said gas, for expulsion of the same in a regular manner, into the vessel, thc contents of which are required to be preserved, and automatically maintains the generation and supply of' said gas.

Likewise, the invention covers a certain combination or arrangement of parts or devices for eii'ecting the above-named result or results, under a washed or purified condition of the gas.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which shows a barrel or cask, A, in Aconnection with a carbonicaoid-gas-generating apparatus, B is a sulphuric or other acid-reservoir,v arranged to occupy an upper and elevatedposition in the apparatus, and relatively to the oask or vessel to be charged; also provided with a charging-aperture and stopper, a. Y

Said apparatus, which, in its general action, is automatic, furthermore consists of ages-generatingchamber, C, arranged to occupy a base or lower position relatively to the acid-reservoir B, As uoh two chambers orreservoirs also having combined with them a gas-washer or washing-chamber, D. Gonneotingthe acid-reservoir B, lfrom or near its base, with the gas-generator C or space 6, 'lying belowa perforated bottom, c, to the generator, on which bottom the carbonate ofsoda or other suitable substance rests, is a pipe, d, that serves, by the superincumbent-weight or pressureofthe acid, to supply, in .an automatic manner, the latter, and keep up'its contact with the carbonate of soda, to effect theigeneration of the gas within the chamber C; also, by the superincumbent weight or pressure of the column 'gf,aoid, to expel the gas as generated, the pressure ofthe gas operating, in a. reverse direction, to limit and control the supply of the acid. i

The carbonate of soda is or may be inserted within thel chamber C through a door, e, while refuse matter may, from time to time, bo drawn oii` from the space b, by removing a plug,f. The gas-washer D .has the gas conveyed to it from the generator C by a pipe, g, while the washed gas is passed, by a'pipe, la, opening in the lwasher above the water, to the cask or barrel A, the supply being turned on or o", as required, by a cock, t'.

From this description, it will be seen that the beer or other liquid in the keg, cask, or barrel, takes up, by

its power of absorption, carbonio-acid gas, to secure tc it the preservation of its natural qualities', and to malte up any deficiency in the volume of such gasrwithin the liquid, whether as due to it originally, orgasarising from exposure to the atmosphere in drawing off tlie liquid, and that the vacant space above the liquid is constantly kept lled with said gas. This is effected by the connection of the keg, cask, or barrel with a carbonio-acidgas-reservoir, or generating and supplying-apparatus.

Also, it will be seen that, by the specialconstruction of theA apparatus, vas described, or arrangement of'the acid-reservoir, gas-generator, and washing-chamber or vessel, lthe cleansed or purified gas is supplied to the lieg, cask, or barrel, not only in an automatic and regular manner, b ut the gas forcibly expelled by the pressure of the column of the acid into the vessel, the contents of which are required to be preserved.

In the preservation of fruit, a like operation is observed, only substituting the can containing the fruit for the cask coutaining'the beer or liquid, and repeating the-operation till v the atmospheric air, or major portion of it, is expelled from the can or its contents, by the charging, under repeated fillings, with gas, subject to intermissions, for escape of the air of the can or itscoifitents.A v

What is here claimed, and desiredtobe Asecured by Letters Patent, is

1. The process,substantially'as herein described, of`preserving vbeer or other perishable liquids o1'.- substances, by the connection or combination of the vessel containing the same with a carbonic-acid-gas-generating apparatus or reservoir, in such manner as that the contents of said vessel, or vacant space of the latter, is or are kept constantly charged-with said gas, in a regular and automatic manner, as rapidly as said contents absorb the gas, or contents of the vessel are drawn olf, substantially as speci-hed.

2. The arrangement, in connection with the vessel containing the liquid or article requiring-to be preserved, of an upper acid-reservoir, B, and lower gas-generator, C, for supply, iu a regular and automatic manner, ofY the gas to said vessel, and whereby the gas is forcibly expelled into the latter by the superincumbent weightor pressure of the column of liquid acid, essentially as herein set forth.

3. The arrangement of the said reservoir B,gasgenerator C,and washer D, iu au apparatus for supplying,l

in an automatic manner, carbonio-acid gas to the vessel, or its contents requiring to be preserved, substantiallyA as shown and described.

R. EICKEMEYER;

Witnesses:

A. Ln CLERC, A. KINNIER. 

